Atlas of European Millipedes (Class Diplopoda) Volume 1

This is the first in a series of three books which will, for the first time ever, show the distribution of Europe's more than 1500 species of millipedes on 50 × 50 km square maps. The present volume includes 492 species, including the tiny, beautiful pincushion millipedes, the colourful pill-millipedes, and the flat-backed millipedes. The millipede atlas is the result of many years' meticulous accumulation of records provided by a large number of contributors from all over Europe, interpretation of label data from collections, and scrutiny of old literature. The atlas builds on the taxonomic backbone provided by the Fauna Europaea project which provides information on names, synonyms, and distribution by country or region of non-marine European animals.

In several European countries the distribution and often the ecological requirements of millipedes are quite well understood but in many regions the information is fragmentary, the maps revealing where much remains to be done. There are undoubtedly many more species to discover. As a result of the work already undertaken it has become apparent that millipedes are very good bioindicators, being slow-moving and having particular habitat requirements which are helpful in biogeographical and evolutionary studies. It is hoped that this atlas will both stimulate and be a foundation for further studies.

Introduction 7
SPECIAL PART 17
Species accounts 19
Order Polyxenida 19
Family Lophoproctidae 19
Family Polyxenidae 20
Family Synxenidae 22
Order Glomerida 23
Family Glomeridae 23
Family Glomeridellidae 38
Family Protoglomeridae 39
Order Platydesmida 40
Family Andrognathidae 40
Order Siphonocryptida 41
Family Siphonocryptidae 41
Order Polyzoniida 41
Family Hirudisomatidae 41
Family Polyzoniidae 42
Order Callipodida 43
Family Callipodidae 43
Family Dorypetalidae 44
Family Schizopetalidae 45
Order Polydesmida 49
Family Chelodesmidae 50
Family Macrosternodesmidae 50
Family Paradoxosomatidae 50
Family Polydesmidae 54
Family Pyrgodesmidae 71
Family Trichopolydesmidae 71
Family Xystodesmidae 73
MAPS 75
Species in Volume 1 of Atlas of European millipedes 271 References 277